michigan cannabis coalition

Two competing Michigan marijuana legalization petitions were approved on Thursday by the Board of State Canvassers. Both are aiming for the 2016 ballot.

The petitions are from the Michigan Cannabis Coalition (MCC) and the Michigan Comprehensive Cannabis Law Reform Committee (MCCLRC), reports Jonathan Oosting at MLive.com. Both can immediately begin circulating petitions, attempting to collect the 252,523 signatures required to qualify for the 2016 ballot.

MCCLRC, a group led by cannabis activists and attorneys, faced some criticism for canvassers for squeezing the proposed initiative language onto the back of a single petition sheet, which some said made it difficult to read.

"I think this is a terrible disservice to people reading this petition," said Julie Matuzak, a Democrat appointed to the four-member Board of State Canvassers, who nonetheless voted to approve the petition because it technically met current rules.

But Jeffrey Hank, a Lansing-based attorney and chairman of the ballot committee, downplayed that critique, saying MCCLRC will begin collecting signatures in the coming weeks.

"We think it's perfectly readable," Hank said. "Our language is publicly available and has been for some time. We're confident the voters will understand the options we provide."

The organizers behind a marijuana legalization drive in Michigan on Tuesday withdrew their petition, saying they plan to submit new language later.

The Michigan Cannabis Coalition told the Michigan Board of State Canvassers of the move on Tuesday, reports the Associated Press. The group had been expected to have its petition approved by the board.

The legislation would require 252,000 valid voter signatures before going to the GOP-led Michigan Legislature. If lawmakers took no action or rejected the bill, it would go before the voters in November 2016.

Several anonymous people from the agricultural, real estate, insurance and education sectors are backing the bill through the Michigan Cannabis Coalition. The state could add jobs and tax revenue by legalizing and regulating cannabis for recreational purposes, according to the group.

Recreational marijuana would be legalized in Michigan under the proposed wording of a ballot initiative submitted to the state last week.

Once authorized by the Board of State Canvassers, the initiative, from the Michigan Cannabis Coalition, would need about 252,000 valid voter signatures before going to the GOP-controlled Legislature, reports the Associated Press.

If lawmakers either reject or ignore the bill, it would receive a statewide vote in November 2016.

The initiative is being sponsored by "six to eight" anonymous donors from the agricultural, real estate, insurance and education sectors, according to spokesman Matt Marsden.

Marsden said that Michigan could create jobs and add tax revenue by legalizing and regulating recreational cannabis. The state already allows marijuana for medicinal purposes.